Explosive.



nrrn s ATES 'rnn'r OFFICE.

GIOANNI leonimno,

or 'rUiun, ITALY.

No Drawing.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr, 18, 1911, Application filed April 18, 1907. Serial No. 368,964.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GIOANNI Conner co, a sub ect of the King of Italy, residing at Turin, in Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosives, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to improvements,

in the manufacture of explosives. v

Common metals have under certain physi ca'l conditions the property of becoming 0X1- dized with so much violence, and with the development of so much thermal energy,-

that they constitute explosives of great power it mixed with suitable u'antitics1of oxids or oxidized salts. The physical-state required for this purposeis that of very fine division obtained by means of mechanical pulverization, or preferably by the electrolysis of the oxide or salts of the metals.

J I have ascertained that very much greater explosive force is obtained by-using a-mixture of different metals than by using the metals singly, if the mixture is an intimate one and consists of suitable proportions of two ormore metals which begin to oxidize at difi'erent temperatures, and the successively formed oxygen compounds of whieh' v develop, during their formation, increasinquantities of heat, so that the oxidation 0- one of them induces, by the heat developed, the more rapid and complete oxidation of the other metal or metals, of which the oxidation takesplace' at a higher temperature.

- This process constitutes an im rovement of reat importance and allows o obtaining exp os-ive forces considerably greater than those obtained by means of the most powerful nitrogen compounds. Aluminium and antimony used singly constitute the combustible of explosives when mixed with an oxid or highly oxidized salt which is stable at ordinary temperatures but is adapted,

when its temperature is raised by ignition, to yield-the oxygen required-for the combustion of the metal, as for example manga- Wnese dioxid, chlorates, perchlorates and nitrat'es. For the mixture aluminium and manganese dioxid the formula 20 percent. of aluminium and 80 per cent. of manganese dioxid may be. used. If, however, these two metals, aluminium and antimony, are mixed with each other insuitabl'e proportions, to

- them with 'a' suitable quantity of oxid'or 551 ghly o xidizedvsaltpas fo r example- 8 per cent, "of aluminium, 8- per cent. oflantinlony I and 84 per cent. of manganese dioxid the oxidation of one of the metals develops heat by which the oxidation of the other metal is caused to take place with more completeness and with the development of a greater amount of heat and consequently of explosive force. During the first phase of the explosion there is produced trioxid of antimony Gib- 0 theheatof formation of which assists and accelerates the formation' of aluminium oxidAl O The heat of fO1'ml-- tion of the latter added to that of the antimony oxid raises the-temperature to the temperature at which antimony pentoxid 811,0

isformed, and this compound in turn raises I the temperature to that at which a peroxid of aluminium is formed, which may be the hitherto unobtainable pntoxid A1 0,. The unknown heat of molecular constitution of this peroxid must be exceedingly greatgsince the explosive produced. in the manner described explodes with a force approximately .wick, or the like without the use of a powerful detonator.

It is necessary that the explosion of an explosive of this nature takes place in a projectile, mine, torpedo, or the like, to prevent the expansion and cooling of the gases in course of formation. If the metallic explosives manufactured by the method described are formed with nitrate of potash, explosion does not take place below a temperature of approximately 300 degrees Centigrade,

and is not readily produced by the action of impact or friction.

The composition of these explosives re-v sembles in its character that of black powder. the carbon and sulfur in the latter being replaced by aluminium and antimony.

By' altering the proportions of the metals mixed with each other in the same way as carbon and sulfur vary in black powder,

different explosive forces or rapidities of ex:* plosion are obtained, according to the purpose for which the explosive i4 required. is examplesz-JO per cent. oi aluminium. 10 per cent. of antimony and St) per cent. at

perchlorate of potaeh give an explosive of high disruptive power. 19} per cent. 0t

alinninium, 3";- per cent. of antimony and 75 per cent. of nitrate of potash give a lower disruptive power.

The explosive is compounded in the same way as hla 'lq powder.

fit the very high temperature; of explm sion the oxids and ineiallie anlrvd 'i l are helieved to he seoue, but. immediately after the explosion and consequent (Xi'JilElSlOll and l cooling of the gases the latter rapidl ho come eonileie'ed and solidified, hut remain in a state of line division, so that they remain sne auled in the atmosphere and form a thic-k and blovcly dispersingsniolqe, visible at; a. r-oneiderahle distance.

The. explosives prodneed in the manner de-St-rihed theret'ore have the 'lollowing mlrantagesr '1. lligh power. lroduetimi alowl ('llFlPQlSlilg Sanohe, enahliug' the loeation ot the explwion to he ileteeled at a l i.-tanre. 3i. insensitiveness to inipat-t an-l t'rieiion within the gun and on impact iii; highly resistaiit bodies such ail armorilate l 'L'tllltlli or eoin'i'ete walls and the lik :-'o that the explosives are uitahle or ehargl iug projeetile and in general for all pun i pews for which explosive agents are .re-l quiretl.

l l t i. :ii illliim Certain metals are, more particularly \\l n tint-1y pulverize -i. liable to become oxidized at ordiuarv temperatures.

vent this. sueh m tals may he coated with a l -to form a paste.

asopse protective varnish of materials which are perfectly stable at ()ItllTHHy temperatures, and constitute an explosive when in Contact with the oxir l orvsalt mixed with the metal. A varnish F-Ullilll7l for this purpose may he produced by mixing in equal proportions, soot, boiled linFeed oil and oil of turpentine The percentage of Soot, however, may he varied to give to the paste the required fluidity. This varnish is applied to the metallie powders of the explosives in the proportion of 2 to l per cent. in weight. With 1- per (tent. or more of such varnish the explosive will not explode in the open air or it closed in a receiver oi weak resistance.

What: l claim as my invention and desire to sewn-e by Letter: Pat nt of the United Ftatea .1. An exploeive comprising a mixture of aluminium and autiiuoirv in finely divided t-ooilitiou with a miliil inorganio oxidizing agent.

J. .in exploeire eon;-:istiin ot a mixture l aluminium and antiuuiny in a tinel} tlil ittl rondiiiuiu a wliil inoreaniii; oxidizing gent. and a varniah )ll(,fl to said metals eonsieting'i of soot. lioil d lin eed oil and oil of turpentine, mid var iish 'l'orniiug with the oxidizing agent an ()XltllZttlJlO explosive eonatituent.

in witneas whereof l have signed this speeitieation in the PIQSLHC'U of two witnesses.

GIOANNI CORNARO. li itnesses:

(Lin-L0 llon'ra, Lows Amen 

